Men and Mental Health
Cody Kaneshiro, M.S.
Practicum Trainee (2019-2020)
In January of 2019, the men’s razor company Gillette rolled out a new company advertisement titled We Believe. The ad, which is just over a minute and a half long, highlights many common aspects of “traditional” male masculinity that are often perpetuated in society, such as competitiveness, dominance, aggression, and stoicism (rigidly suppressing emotions, such as the oft-repeated, “boys don’t cry”). The ad became somewhat of an internet lighting rod, attracting strong reactions from many who viewed it. Some thought that the ad was needlessly antagonizing men (though most news sources noted that such attacks were often sexist or racist), while others felt that the ad was a positive and important development in discussing the idea of “toxic masculinity.”
Regardless of the controversy surrounding the ad, the topic of masculinity is one that is important not only for conversations around society and culture, but mental health as well. Although boys and men within most contemporary societies possess a high degree of power and privilege as a result of their gender, there are a number of issues that disproportionately appear to effect boys and men compared to the rest of the population. For example, men who exhibit the strongest beliefs of masculine behaviors (such as stoicism, competitiveness, dominance, and aggression) are less likely to utilize preventative healthcare, are more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors, and are much less likely (and will have a more negative view) of seeking mental health services. In regard to suicide and violence, men are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide compared to women. Similarly, men make up 77% of all homicide victims in America and commit 90% of all American homicides. A number of recent studies have also demonstrated evidence that boys and men experience significantly higher rates of academic challenges (e.g., premature drop-out, suspension, expulsion), incarceration, substance use, premature death, and physical health issues (e.g., cardiovascular disease, cancer). In addition, these negative life experiences are often exacerbated by a boy or man’s various other identities such as race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and other social identities.
In response to the significant and unique problems that appear to be impacting men, the American Psychological Association (APA) published a set of guidelines in 2018 that summarize key research findings spanning over 40 years of studies that outline the best evidence-based care for working with boys and men. This follows past APA publications in which similar guidelines have been created for practice with other groups, such as for work with girls and women, older adults, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ patients.
The need for such guidelines is welcomed and important—they provide clinical psychologists a useful set of research-backed principles that can significantly inform their recommendations and treatment. In particular, the APA guidelines outline a number of key treatment points and applications, such as:
Psychologists strive to recognize that masculinities are constructed based on social, cultural, and contextual norms
Psychologists strive to recognize that boys and men integrate multiple aspects to their social identities across the lifespan
Psychologists strive to reduce the high rates of problems boys and men face and act out in their lives such as aggression, violence, substance abuse, and suicide
Psychologists understand and strive to change institutional, cultural, and systemic problems that affect boys and men through advocacy, prevention, and education
One of the most important take-aways from these guidelines is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to the mental health of any one group or individual—men included. Indeed, there are quite a few encouraging lessons to be learned from these guidelines. Certain traditional “masculine” traits like stoicism, for instance, may be useful or necessary in many instances; however, it is ineffective to believe that such traits should be used at all times. It is in this spirit that the APA and psychologists more broadly hope to encourage boys and men to seek help—being able to show vulnerability and work effectively to deal with difficulties should not be seen as antithetical to being masculine, but rather an emphasis on the positive aspects of masculinity that promote greater health and well-being
APA. (2018). APA Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Boys and Men.
https://www.apa.org/images/boys-men-practice-guidelines_tcm7-249294.pdf
APA. (2019). A Closer Look at the APA Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Boys and Men.
https://www.apa.org/news/apa/2019/boys-men-look
APA. (2019). APA Guidelines on Boys and Men launch important — and fiery — national conversation.
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/02/male-guidelines
Pappas, S. (2019). APA issues first-ever guidelines for practice with men and boys.
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/01/ce-corner